Prosecutors claim Alec Baldwin was careless with firearms prior to ‘Rush’ shooting
Prosecutors in the Alec Baldwin Rust trial are planning to argue that the actor exhibited a pattern of recklessness and carelessness with firearms on the set of the movie before the fatal shooting of the film’s cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.
Hutchins was fatally shot on October 21st, 2021, when Baldwin discharged a live round from a Colt revolver handgun that was intended to be a prop. The actor is scheduled to July 9th in Santa Fe, facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He is pleading not guilty.
In a recent filing, Baldwin’s prosecutors, Kari Morrissey and Erlinda Johnson, claimed that the actor fired the revolver towards Hutchins as a means of establishing a line of sight, per TMZ. They also allege that Baldwin acted in an “erratic and aggressive” manner on set, which caused an unsafe environment.
Following evidence made public during armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed’s trial earlier this year, in which she was sentenced to 18 months in prison, the prosecutors also plan to bring to light a number of additional instances which prove and demonstrate Baldwin’s carelessness on set, not just with a sole focus on the shooting.
Evidence in the videos supporting this claim depicts Baldwin using the crew to direct his firearm and pulling the trigger even after “cut” was yelled. Another allegedly shows him violating industry rules by holding his finger on the trigger, while another sees him cock and uncock his gun without reason to do so.
Prosecutors also claim that, when filming began again following the death of Hutchins, Baldwin was “insistent he not be required to follow safety recommendations.”
Despite many of these instances not being directly linked to the shooting itself, the prosecution argues that the evidence is admissible as vital and relevant to the events of the crime. It would only be deemed inadmissible if it did not reveal any details related to the crime and only claimed to criticise Baldwin’s character.
If convicted, Baldwin faces up to eight months in prison.
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